Moscow: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia supported a US-backed draft resolution aimed at ramping up sanctions against the Islamic State group and cutting off its revenue flows.


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"We support an initiative by the United States including on the preparation of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria," Putin told reporters during an annual news conference, adding he had discussed the draft resolution with US Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this week.


Putin further said that Russian forces in Syria have been providing air support to some of the armed opposition groups that are fighting the Islamic State group.


He said that Russia had "found contacts" with people among the "armed, uncompromising" opposition in Syria. "We support their efforts in fighting ISIL with Russian air strikes," he told reporters during his annual news conference, referring to the Islamic State group.